


Murphy's Law

by GachMoBrea



Series: The Unexpected Series [30]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: AU, Again, BAD Summaries, But don't get too worried about that, CCPD, Captain Kidnap, Children's Games, Cute, Danger!, Disney References, Don't forget - Out Of Character, Duck Duck Goose!, Embarrassed!Oliver, Emotional!Barry, Encouraged Additions to the Story, Fighting, Fluff, Gen, Goes with the Series, Guns, Henchmen, Invasion of the Bad Guys, Kidnapping, Killer Frost - But NOT Really, Len Whump!, Magic!Barry - Not Really, Metahumans, Mick lends the Team a Hand, Minor Character Death, Mpreg, OOC, Or a Heat Gun, Outer City Back-Up, Psycho Meta!, Rescue, Return of Lady Morph!, SPOILER TAGS!!!, STAR Labs, Somebody stop me!, Speedforce Powers - Unexplained, Surprises, Two Chapters with "Technically" Seperate Stories, Vague Casablanca Reference, Worried Teammates, Yet to be seen..., injuries
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-02
Updated: 2016-07-04
Packaged: 2018-07-19 14:45:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,373
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7365778
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GachMoBrea/pseuds/GachMoBrea
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>**The BIG 3-0! 30 installments where a "One-Shot" was originally was supposed to be. Wow. In honor of such a grand event, I tried to make this a long, arduous, addition to the "Unexpected" Collection. Here goes something...**</p><p>= Chapter 1:<br/>A Meta attack brings a realization to the Team that maybe they've forgotten a step in the judicial system...<br/>Or all of the steps, really...<br/>*(Why am I so bad at summaries?)*<br/>= Chapter 2:<br/>The Flash works together with the CCPD to give each of the Metas a proper trial and due process...<br/>During her trial, Lady Morph escapes...<br/>= Chapters 3+4: Angst? A change of plans. And a boat load of 'What?'.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Frost & Hot Head

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just in case} Disclaimer: I own nothing. I own no Characters. I own no Shows.

Barry and Len are training at STAR Labs when the computers light up with an alert of Metahuman activity.  
"Looks like we've got someone right up your alley, Len," Cisco comments when the duo arrive at the Cortex. "Someone's freezing up Central City Bank."  
"Great," the ex-criminal smirks. "I can fight ice with ice."  
"Better put on those special cleats I made for you," the genius tells Barry. "They'll help with this slippery situation."  
Len chuckles when Cisco's eyes go wide after what he just said, "Someone tell me I did not just make a bad pun."  
"Metahuman threat," Caitlin reminds them, pointing to the screen.  
"Right," Barry smiles. "Len can take his bike."  
"It's a race," his partner calls out as he walks quickly to the hidden garage.  
"Better give him time to get to it," Caitlin tells the speedster. "To make it fair."  
"Na, uh," Cisco shakes his head. "You kick the Captain's butt there, Barry. He deserves it for making me spout bad puns!"  
"I think I'll go get those cleats," the hero points over his shoulder before speeding away.

The Flash and Captain Cold arrive at the same time. The speedster will never say whether it was intentional or if it worked out that way.  
Len stashes his bike while Barry flashes inside to evaluate the situation.  
The Meta, a tall man with white hair turns glowing, blue eyes to the speedster and smiles.  
"Flash," the Meta's voice has an odd affect to it, like there's a quiet echo behind it. "I've been waiting for you."  
"And Captain Cold," the Meta looks to Len who's sneaking in through the shadows. "It's n-ICE to meet you."  
Caitlin and Cisco groan over the comms while the Captain steps into the light to smirk at their enemy.  
"I appreciate the punny greeting," Len drawls, raising his gun. "Now, if you'll just give up, we can end this without much fuss."  
"Give up?" the man grins, hands billowing what looks like smoke. "Why would I make this easier for you?"  
Icicles dart out of the Meta's left hand towards Len while a pillar of ice shoots towards Barry. Len rolls away from the frozen projectiles, while Barry runs out of the pillar's reach and towards their enemy.  
The Meta spins, icing the ground around him with one hand while following the speedster with more icicles in the other.  
Len shoots his gun to the enemy, but the man only absorbs it with a smile thrown to the ex-criminal.

"Cisco," Len ducks behind a desk to talk to his teammate. "the Cold Gun is pretty much useless on this guy."  
"Of course Killer Frost can absorb the Cold Gun's ray," the genius sighs.  
"Killer?" his teammate repeats. "This guy's killed people?"  
"Well, not yet," Cisco relents. "It just sounded-"  
"Just Frost then," Len interrupts as he peeks over the desk. Barry is making another run at the Meta. The attempt is thwarted when their enemy hits him with a blast of frozen air that throws him through the room and passed his partner. "Gotta go."

Len runs from his spot to block the Meta from the speedster, gun aimed at the man once more.  
Frost pauses with a raised brow, "Really? Your toy doesn't work on me."  
"Yeah," Cold raises the barrel and shoots a light fixture that instantly freezes and falls towards the Meta who barely manages to dodge it. "but it works just fine on everything else."  
"You'll pay for that," Frost growls, shooting icicles to Len, but he's shoved off balance by a red blur and the frozen projectiles miss by a mile.  
"Thanks," Len grins to his partner, who's already moving to attack their enemy again.  
Barry gets a few more hits in before Frost slaps him in the back with a billowing hand and the speedster cries out as he falls, sliding across the frozen ground before stopping in front of a wall.  
Len fires at the Meta as he runs to his partner. Barry's back is black with severe frostbite. Len scowls as he glares at their enemy. He pulls the hero behind a statue so he can heal and stands in front of it to point his gun again at Frost.  
"That thing is useless," Frost taunts with two billowing hands. "Might as well give up so that I can end the two of you quicker."  
Len glances around the room. He eyes a sturdy looking pole that he shoots at so he can break the, now brittle, ends and wield it as a weapon.

"Now," Len drawls, holstering his gun. "from what I can tell, you haven't stolen anything, so you mind telling me your plan?"  
"Monologue?" Frost scoffs. "As if you two deserve to know."  
"I didn't really care," the ex-criminal shrugs. "Just thought I'd offer."  
Len runs, then uses the ice-coated floors to propel himself towards the Meta. Frost shoots more icicles towards him, but Len smacks them away with the pole before shoving the object into the man's gut.  
Frost huffs out a breath as he's forcefully bent forward. He grabs hold of the pole before Len can pull it back and swings it to throw his attacker away.  
The Captain wisely lets go before he can be shoved, simultaneously pulling up his gun and hitting his enemy in the head with the butt of the weapon.  
"That part of it works on you just fine," Len smirks, moving to hit the Meta again.  
Frost catches the Cold Gun and ices the thing over, Len just barely lets go soon enough not to be frozen to it.  
The Meta makes a large ice spike in his hand as he grabs the Captain's arm.  
Len swings at Frost, missing when the man dodges. The spike comes towards his heart when, in a blink, he's away from the Meta and panting lightly at a safe distance.  
Barry leans over to rest his hands on his knees as he catches his breath. The speedster's back is no longer black, but it still looks painfully red and swollen.  
"Thanks again," Len nods to his partner, glancing at his weapon encased a block of ice. "Not gonna go down easy, is he?"  
"When is this ever easy?" the speedster grins, straightening to his full height.  
Their conversation is interrupted with more icy projectiles.  
"Cisco," Len calls over the comms. "I need you to call in reinforcements."  
"Who?" the genius answers, confused.  
"Mick, of course," his teammate smirks. "It's time to heat things up."

 

The Flash plays 'dodge the Meta' while Captain Cold throws the irregular weapon at their enemy to waste time for Heat Wave to arrive.  
"Someone call for a pyromaniac?" Mick calls out as he shoots the Heat Gun at Frost.  
"Just don't burn the place down!" Len warns his ex-partner.  
"You're no fun, Captain," Heat Wave laughs, following the scurrying enemy with the flames of his weapon. "A little fire never hurt anyone!"  
"You and I both know that's not true," the ex-criminal points out.  
"Can this wait till later?" Cisco complains over the comms.  
"He can't hear you, Cousin," Len smirks. "Do you want me to tell him to knock it off?"  
"Please, guys," Barry sighs. "Can we stop this Meta first?"  
"His name's Frost," the genius informs his other teammate.  
"Hey, Mr. Icicle!" Mick roars as the Meta slides under a table to avoid the fire.  
"Does no one respect my name choices?" Cisco complains.  
"Once again," Len drawls. "He can't hear you."  
Frost rises from his hiding place to shoot, two-handed, at the pyro. Mick shoots back with his gun and the opposite forces fill the bank with a thick, misty fog.  
"Heat Wave!" Len shouts out. "Cut it out! You're making it too hard to see!"  
Mick stops as ordered and the fog floats around them as the heroes try to see where their enemy is hiding.

Barry shouts out in pain and Len tenses as he moves as safely as he can towards the noise. Mick growls nearby but Len can't worry about his ex-partner right now because the fog finally clears enough for him to see his current partner incased in ice.  
"Flash!" he shouts, eyes darting around as he looks for Frost as he runs to the man.  
"Freeze!" the Meta slides in front, pointing another large ice pick at him.  
"If you're gonna kill us," Len frowns. "I demand to know why. Is it just because we're the good guys?"  
"Good guys?" Frost laughs. "You two are nothing more than a couple of crooks with pretend virtuous intentions."  
"What are you talking about?" the ex-criminal demands. "All we do is stop Metahumans and criminals from hurting innocent people!"  
"You were a criminal," the Meta scowls. "But you still got a trial. The cops still had to gather evidence and a jury still had to find you guilty."  
"Although you still managed to get out of that," Frost scoffs.  
"So, you're jealous?" Len narrows his eyes in confusion. "You hate me because I turned into one of the good guys?"  
"No," the Meta growls, taking a step closer. "I'm angry because the two of you play judge, jury and executioner to us Metahumans!"  
Barry hisses as Caitlin worriedly tells him his condition over the comms. There's more than just physical pain now as he realizes that Frost was right. All these years, he had just locked up the Metas in order to keep people safe. He thought he was looking out for the average citizen of Central City.  
But who was looking out for the Metahumans?

"You're right," the speedster bites out through the pain as Frost and his partner look at him. "I'm sorry. I was just trying to keep the city safe."  
"It's not like those Meta's were innocent," Len drawls, getting their enemy's attention and a glare from his partner.  
"Cold," Barry growls, frustrated.  
"Trouble in paradise?" Mick hits Frost in the back of the head, knocking the Meta unconscious. "This was interesting."  
The pyro grins at Len, "Kinda like old times, ey, Snart?"  
"Mick," Cold nods to Flash. "Do you mind freeing Scarlett from his icy prison?"  
Mick smirks, firing at the ice-encased hero. 

Barry breathes a sigh of relief as the ice melts away and he's no longer at risk of freezing to death.  
"Thanks, Mick," the speedster nods to the pyro when he finally steps away from where he was stuck.  
"Cops are on their way," Cisco warns them over the comms. "The silent alarm was never set off, but someone must've called 9-1-1."  
The familiar ring of sirens reaches the trio and they all turn their heads to Meta out cold on the ground.  
"Clean up," Len drawls, reaching for Frost.  
Mick grabs the Meta's other side and the old partners get the Meta on Len's bike to be brought back to STAR Labs.  
"Sorry," Cold looks apologetically at the pyro. "You'll have to foot it outta here on your own."  
"Not my first time, Len," Mick chuckles. "Try not to get in any more trouble now, ya hear?"  
"I'll try," the ex-criminal smirks, gunning the engine before speeding away. Barry nods again to Heave Wave before flashing passed his partner.

 

Cisco has Frost's cell prepared for them when they arrive and even helps Len get the unconscious Meta to it.  
"That was exhausting," Len comments as they all convene in the Cortex. "Robbing banks was so much easier than saving them from ice-powered Metahumans."  
"Any idea who our new tenant really is?" Barry asks as he rolls up the sleeves of his STAR Labs sweatshirt; having already changed out of his damaged hero suit.  
"Robert Cross," Cisco pulls up the man's photo on one of the screens. "He and his twin brother, Rupert Cross, were working at their separate jobs when the accelerator exploded."  
"We run into Rupert before?" the speedster asks as the twin's picture comes up beside his brother's.  
"Hot Head," Len answers as he looks to the genius for confirmation.  
"Got it in one," Cisco snaps his fingers as he pulls up news clippings of their previous encounter with the other Meta. "The Metahuman who was responsible for that little cruise ship fire that had Barry running into a grumpy Czech grandmother, who said speedster later captured, is indeed Frost's twin brother."  
"To byla zábava," Len smirks, remembering the cruise ship and how the elderly woman almost beat the speedster with her cane.  
"Jako kdyby váš klobouk měl dobrý vůz," Barry tries to insult the man with what little he had learned.  
It doesn't work. Len laughs at him so loud it startles his other teammates.  
"I know I need help with my declension," his partner confesses when he finally catches his breath. "but at least every Czech speaking person would understand me when I make those mistakes." He grins wide, "No one would understand you, Barry."  
"Enough with the language lesson," Caitlin scolds before there can be a fight. "Are we going to do anything about the Cross brothers?"  
"Frost, or," Barry waves his hand to the man's picture. "Robert Cross, was right. We've been locking the Metas away without a trial. Without anyone even knowing where they were being kept."  
The speedster sighs, "That isn't right."  
"You concerned about us crooks and killers?" Len crosses his arms as he leans against the computer desk. "You gonna let them all go just like that?"  
"No," Barry frowns. "And you're not a criminal anymore, Len. We've been over this."  
"Multiple times," Cisco adds, slightly annoyed. "So you better stop throwing yourself in that category or I'll personally kick your butt."  
"Moving passed the warm and fuzzy feelings," Len drawls with a tilt of his head. "What's the plan you've got forming in that head of yours, Barry?"  
"We've got to find a way for the police to process the Metahumans without risking them to their powers," the speedster decides. "Cisco, do you think you could come up with something that would work?"  
"It won't be easy," the genius admits. "But nothing's impossible for the greatest team on earth."

 

Team ColdFlash works together with Central City's Police Department to create a way for the Metahumans to have a proper trial and go through due process.

But that's not where this story ends.  
...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translation Note:  
> "To byla zábava." - "That was fun." [Czech]  
> "Jako kdyby váš klobouk měl dobrý vůz." - "As if your hat had a good car." [Czech]


	2. The Return of Lady Morph

Everything goes well for the Team as each Metahuman has their 'day in court.'  
That is, until Lady Morph uses her trial to escape.

Cisco sends the alert to Barry and Len via a text.  
Len immediately has Lisa take Wentworth out of the city to stay at Henry Allen's cabin. Worthy was excited to see 'Gappa Henny' but his long hug to his father let the man know his son was aware that something bad had happened.  
"Be ca-ful," Wentworth had ordered, cementing Len's suspicion. "I wuv you, Da."  
"I love you too," Len smiled at his son. "I'll see you soon, okay?"  
"Tay," his son winked, before his aunt took his hand and they both got on the bus headed towards the older Allen's place. Lisa stared sadly at her brother as they drove off, telling her brother all he needed to know without any words passing between them.

 

Lady Morph disappeared like a ghost. For days, everyone searched for the Metahuman without finding a trace of her. Mick searched for the woman using all the criminal contacts that were still friendly with him, but he couldn't turn up anything either.

 

Then, when a light winter snow started to fall in the city, the Team got an alert that a building was collapsing. Barry and Len rushed out to help, the former taking his bike, but only the speedster showed up at the site.  
Unable to worry about his partner, The Flash works on saving those still escaping the quickly crumbling building.  
There are several injuries, but no fatalities. Barry smiles absently at the praise from the crowd; not really hearing them.  
The moment he knows everyone's out safe, the hero speeds throughout the city to search for Len.  
He doesn't find him. Not even his bike.  
Barry returns to STAR Labs to talk directly with the others.

"Any sing of Len?" the speedster asks, removing his cowl after he arrives at the Cortex where Caitlin and Cisco are checking security cameras throughout Central City.  
"Not yet," Caitlin smiles tightly. "But he couldn't have just vanished. Did he say where he was when he got the call?"  
"I think he was at the house," Barry answers. His phone, that he left on the desk with the others, rings loudly in the room.  
The hero picks it up and smiles at the screen.  
"It's Len," Barry tells the others as he answers the device. "Where have you been?"  
"In prison," Lady Morph's voice coos through the receiver. Barry stiffen instantly. "Though, you already knew that. Didn't you, hero?"  
"Where's Captain Cold?" he says calmly, holding back his worry and anger. "If you've hurt him-"  
"Relax," the Meta sings. "He's safe and un-hurt." she chuckles. "For now."  
"What do you want?" the speedster bites out, now fighting the desire to reach through the phone and strangle the woman on the other end.  
"The Captain's not being a very good guest, Flash," the woman whines playfully. "I want you to come and join our little party."  
"Deal," Barry instantly agrees. "Just tell me where to go."  
"Don't bring any friends along, Flash," the Meta adds seriously. "No other Metas, no cops, no leftover Rogues."  
"Fine," the speedster looks to Cisco who shakes his head. There's no trace from the call yet. "I'll come. All alone. Just, Tell. Me. Where."  
"I'll text you," Lady Morph clicks her tongue before hanging up.  
"Sorry," Cisco frowns, worriedly. "I purposely put a scrambler on Len's phone to make it harder to track and trace."  
"It's okay, Cisco," Caitlin pats him reassuringly on the shoulder. "It's not your fault."  
"Technically? Maybe not, but," the genius rubs a hand over his eyes. "Why do so many of my inventions come back to bite me?"  
"We don't have time to worry about that, buddy," Barry tries to reassure his friend. "Right now we-"  
The speedster is interrupted by his phone going off, indicating a text message.  
"You're not seriously going there alone, are you?" Caitlin asks. "Maybe we should call Mick or Lisa?"  
"She said not to come with anyone else," the hero shakes his head. "No other Metas, cops or Mick and Lisa. Though she referred to them as 'leftover Rogues'."  
"Sounds like Lady Morph did her research," Cisco grumbles.  
"We'll worry about how she knows what she knows later," Barry says as he puts his cowl back on. "I gotta run."

Barry goes straight to the address, anger moving his legs faster as his surroundings become vaguely familiar.  
He stops in the middle of a warehouse, eyes searching for any signs of his enemy.  
A bright, white light blinds him and he doesn't have time to flash away before something clangs loudly around him and the light turns off just as quickly as it turned on.  
"Comfy, Flash?" Lady Morph's blurry self appears before the speedster.  
Barry blinks away the stars left over from the light as he looks for his partner.  
"Where's Captain Cold?" he demands.  
"Are you sure you know what's going on?" the Meta crosses her arms and gives the hero a pointed look. "I put a lot of thought into this plan for you to ignore certain details."  
Not caring what the woman was talking about, Barry runs at her.  
He rams into something and is thrown backwards.

"What," the word falls out of his mouth as he tries to move again.  
After a moment of inspection, Barry realizes he's trapped in some sort of clear, cylindrical cell. He then tries to 'phase' through the wall but a banging noise catches his attention.  
Lady Morph smiles at him as she waves a bat.  
"I know you can get out of here," the Meta tells him. "But I also know it'll take you a few extra seconds to do that, so, hear me out first."  
"You've got my attention," the speedster frowns, moving to stand closer to his enemy.  
"Good," Lady Morph pulls out a remote-looking device and hits a button. A spotlight turns on, showing Len passed out on the ground a few feet away.  
"Wait!" the Meta barks when Barry tenses to leave. "You should know, that if you leave that little container, it will trigger a bomb."  
"What?" the hero blinks.  
"Also, if you haven't already noticed," the woman smiles. "I've got a jamming field blocking out your other buddies."  
Lady Morph taps the cylinder with the bat, "The three of us are all alone."

"Is this revenge?" Barry demands. "If you're angry about going to jail, take it out on me. Let Cold go."  
"You know," Lady Morph bites her lower lip as she looks the hero over. "I gave you two a gift."  
'No.' Dread floods Barry's chest as he glares at the woman.  
"This place?" the Meta waves the bat in small circles. "It's where we last fought."  
The speedster glances around and realizes the woman's right. That's what felt so familiar about the place. He'd been there before. When Lady Morph changed their lives forever.  
"I know there's a little rugrat running around with the combined DNA of you two mooks," the Meta giggles. "And I could've figured out who it was or where it lived, but I do have rules. I don't hurt kids."  
Barry's rapid heartbeat calmed at the woman's conviction. He had worried that their son would, once again, be used against them. Now he just had to figure out what the woman wanted!  
"I can tell," his enemy taunts. "You want to know my demands."  
"It would make this a lot easier," Barry forces his voice to stay calm.  
"I have an offer you can refuse," Lady Morph giggles again. "Sorry, I watched a lot of gangster movies growing up."  
"Get to the point!" the speedster hits the cylinder's wall. His enemy might be lying about the bomb, but Barry's not ready to risk finding out quite yet.  
"I like you two!" the Meta rolls her eyes dramatically. "I want to see you two grow closer together and you know," she wiggles her eyebrows. "Become a couple."  
Barry blinks, completely stunned. Of all the possible things he thought the woman would want, her words were so very, very far away from a whisper of what he assumed.  
"So," Lady Morph tosses the bat away before sashaying over to Len who's still lying unconscious on the floor. "What do you say, Flash?"  
The woman moves Len so that she can pull up his shirt. She smiles at Barry, "You want another kid?"

"You're insane," Barry looks at her. "You did all this to offer us another child?"  
"Us!" the woman claps her hands. "I knew you two were a thing!"  
"Listen," the speedster takes a breath, forcing down his anger that's close to boiling over. "I," he can't believe what he's about to say but, "appreciate, the offer, but no thanks."  
Lady Morph frowns, "I know I said you could refuse and all," she looks down at Len's lax face. "But I lied. Cutie pie here's too good to pass up. I mean, really."  
The Meta grins wide at the hero, "Don't you think he's too handsome not to make more kids with?"  
"That's disgusting," Barry's stomach rolls with the darker side of the woman's insinuation. "He's a human being. NOT a piece of meat or set of DNA you can toy with for your own desires!"  
"You're cute too!" the woman growls defensively. "I'm not saying you're ugly, but I can only see so much of your face with that stupid head-mask on."  
Fed up, and willing to call the Meta's bluff, Barry phases through the cylinder and goes straight for his partner. Lady Morph has a gun to Len's head just as quickly.  
"You can stop bullets mid-flight, hero," Lady Morph says darkly. "But you can't stop them at this close a range."  
The woman's finger is right on the trigger.  
Barry could do it. He could get the gun away from her and finally get Len out of this mess.  
But he could just as easily get his partner shot in the head.  
At least the bomb threat was a lie.

"Alright," Barry raises his hands in defeat. "You win."  
"I knew you'd see it my way," the Meta smiles. "All I need now is-"  
"But," the speedster cuts her off. "Don't do it to Cold. Do it to me."  
"Put the fetus inside you?" Lady Morph raises both of her eyebrows. "Did you get jealous of your partner's pregnancy mode?"  
"I don't want him to go through that much pain again," the hero frowns. "You want us to have another child? Fine! But use me as the carrier instead."  
The Meta scowls. "This is some sort of trick isn't it? There's no way you'll stay still long enough for me to use my powers."  
"I give you my word," Barry says slowly, putting all the sincerity he can over the other emotions fighting to break free. "I'll stay still. Whatever you want. Just do it to me."  
"Whatever I want," Lady Morph smiles. "It's so cute that you said that."

The Meta uses her free hand to reach into her pocket and pull out a vial of what looks like blood.  
"Yes," the woman smiles. "This is blood. I think I can read minds too, hero, maybe your buddies can test me for that? Anyway," she clears ther throat theatrically. "This little vial of blood is what I affectionately call 'Option Number One'."  
"What do you mean?" the speedster wants nothing more than to get his partner away from the psycho woman, but the weapon's still too close.  
"Option One: I use this blood to make the baby," the Meta explains with a too-big smile. "Option Two: You give me your blood to do it."  
'What is wrong with this lady?' Barry scowls, "I said you could use me!"  
"I DON'T CARE!" the woman screams, making the hero jump. She takes a deep breath before continuing, "The Captain was literally made to do this. I don't even have to change as many things this time around. He's still messed up inside."  
"He's," the speedster curses himself for never thinking about the fact his partner might still have after affects from being altered by the Meta. His heart sinks with all the horrible things his family member might have gone through alone.  
"Oh, you naughty boy," the woman tisks. "You let your partner go through who knows what without so much as ASKING if he was okay?"  
Lady Morph shakes her head in fake pity before smiling large at the hero again, "So, what'll it be? Mystery second half? Or another half speedster?"  
Barry looks down at his still sleeping partner before making his decision.

"Option Two," he says quietly, cursing himself for all the pain Len will have to go through in the future. "Use my blood."  
"Good," the Meta lets out a breath of relief. "I really didn't care for Option One."  
"But this is all your doing!" Barry growls at the woman.  
"Hush, little hero," Lady Morph scolds, returning the vial to her pocket and replacing it with a pocket knife. "Sorry I couldn't get anything sharper," she winks. "Use a lot of force the first time so it'll hurt less."  
The Meta throws the knife at the hero and adjusts her sitting position next to Len.  
"Hurry, hurry, hurry," she sings. "Time's a wastin!"  
"If I do this," the speedster removes one of his gloves. "You promise to let Cold go and leave us alone?"  
His enemy nods, "I'll even let you take me back to jail."  
Barry puts the knife to his palm, but hesitates.  
"One more thing," Lady Morph sings as she pulls the gun away from Len's head. "I poisoned the Captain. So, either I knock him up again, or he'll die."

The hero's shocked retort is interrupted by an arrow going through the woman's shoulder. The Meta screams, reaching for her shoulder as she slides away from her victims.  
"Not so fast," a familiar voice says from the darkness, stopping Lady Morph from going too far.  
"Green Arrow," Barry looks to his friend as Thea, dressed as Speedy, pulls the crying Meta back to the group. "She, she said she-"  
"I know," the archer stops the speedster as he turns a glare to the whimpering woman. "Fix what you did to Cold. Right. Now."  
"Are you kidding me?" Lady Morph cries out. "ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!"  
"Put a lid on it lady," Thea nudges the other woman with her knee.  
"I have spent," the Meta heaves out. "the passed few years thinking this through, going over every finite detail. And now some Robin Hood and his tiny sidekick show up last minute to stop me?"  
"I'm not his sidekick," Thea clarifies, shrugging at the looks she gets from the two other heroes. "Just do it before you get another arrow through the other shoulder."  
"I'd rather let Cutie die," the woman spits.  
"Forget it," Barry shakes his head. "Caitlin can make a cure."  
"Not for this, hero," Lady Morph cackles. "But you can TRY!"  
Thea knocks the woman unconscious.  
She shrugs again at the looks she gets, "She was going batty."  
"We'll take her and meet you at the lab," Oliver tells the speedster. "You take your partner."  
Barry's gone before the archer finishes speaking. 

He runs straight to STAR Labs where he finds two extremely worried teammates.  
"Barry!" Caitlin jumps as the speedster stops in the Cortex. "What happened?"  
"You were totally radio silent, dude," Cisco chimes in as they both round the computers. "What's wrong with Cuz?"  
"Lady Morph says she poisoned him," Barry tells Caitlin. "I need you to check him out right away."  
"Of course," the scientist ushers the hero to the medical room. "Lay him down here."  
Barry gently lays Len on the medical bed and steps away to remove his cowl as Caitlin begins to check their teammate over.  
"What did Lady Morph want?" Cisco asks as he steps into the room.  
"She wanted to make another baby," the hero answers, eyes focused on his partner.  
"Wait? Ew, seriously?" the genius bawks. "Like, you mean like last time?"  
"Exactly like last time," Barry rests a hand on the back of his neck. "We were in the same place too. She said she wanted us to grow closer together."  
"Wow," Cisco scoffs. "Talk about a psycho version of your greatest fan."

 

Caitlin walks over to them with two vials of blood in her hand.  
"I'm going to check these for poison," she tells them. "Right now, his vitals seem fine, but I'll know better after the tests come back."  
"Thanks, Caitlin," the speedster smiles. "Let me know as soon as you do, okay?"  
"Absolutely," the scientist nods, then leaves the room to do as she said.  
Barry walks up to Len and his eyes move to the heart monitor automatically, worry easing a little at the steady rhythm.  
"You know," Cisco says softly as he takes the other side of the bed. "Len is totally gonna be ticked off when he finds out you carried him bridal style."  
"Yeah," the hero smiles, imagining the glare he's going to get.  
'Assuming he wakes up,' the darker part of his brain offers.  
"He's going to be fine, Barry," the genius assures his teammate. "Captain Cold wouldn't allow himself to be defeated by anyone."  
"A virus isn't anyone, Cisco," Barry points out. "It's a thing. A force we can't control because we can't 'touch' it. We can't control it!"  
"But we can fight it," the genius shoots back when it's clear his teammate is starting to lose it. "If you give up, how can you expect Len to fight this?"  
"You're right," the speedster sighs, ashamed of himself for letting everything in his head take over. "Sorry."  
"Dude, we're family," Cisco reaches over to smack the other man in the shoulder. "Now, come on. We better make sure Green Arrow can find his way here."

"How did he even know to come?" Barry asks as he follows his teammate.  
"I called him right after you left, of course," the genius rolls his eyes. "You didn't say anything about out-of-city help. It's a good thing he was so close by."  
"From what we walked into," Thea chimes in as she walks into the Cortex. "It was a near thing."  
Oliver walks in next, unconscious Lady Morph over his shoulder, "Where do we put her?"  
"Uh, there's a special cell. Here," Barry takes the woman straight to her old cell before returning to the others. "I'll have her shoulder checked later."  
"I bandaged it well enough," the archer offers.

 

The four keep each other company while Caitlin rushes around running tests on Len. Oliver catches Barry up on Star City's problems while Thea teases the archer on his upcoming nuptials.  
"It's supposed to be a small ceremony," Oliver frowns at his sister's teasing grin. "Felicity said she was going to make sure you guys got an invitation."  
"After all," Thea adds. "She can't get mad at you for keeping big things from her, then turn around and not invite you to a big thing like her wedding."  
Caitlin stops in front of them then, earning everyone's attention.  
"There's nothing wrong with him," Caitlin tells the group. "I ran his blood, I did every test I could think of, but I don't know why he won't wake up."  
"It's almost like he was turned off," the scientist shrugs helplessly. "There's nothing I can do."  
"What about what you guys did for me when Dream Killer had me under his control?" Barry offers.  
"There were certain chemicals flooding your brain," Caitlin answers. "There are no traces of anything foreign in Len's system."  
"Morph said Len was still," the speedster pauses as he glances at the members of Team Arrow before finishing. "'Changed' from last time."  
"Oh," the scientist blushes slightly. "That, no, that isn't causing this."  
"So what are our options?" Oliver asks, concerned.  
"I think we should wait this out," Caitlin advises. "Right now there's nothing wrong with him. It might just be a side affect of stress or fatigue after Morph knocked him out. He might wake up on his own in a few hours."  
"And if he doesn't?" Barry presses, eyes searching the woman's for things she might not be telling him.  
"Then we might have to consider taking Morph up on her offer."

After dosing the Meta with air-born sedatives, Caitlin tends to the woman's wound and wraps it properly. She compliments the archer on his first aid skills after she finishes and Oliver merely shrugs the words off.

"Barry," Oliver approaches the speedster solemnly. "We've got to get back to Star City. I wish we could stay and help."  
"No, right, of course," Barry nods his head in understanding. "I'll let you know if there's any change."  
"When there's a change," the archer replies firmly. "Trust your team, Barry."  
The speedster nods, smiling as the older man squeezes his shoulder reassuringly before leaving with Thea.

 

Dresses in his STAR Labs sweats, Barry sits at Len's side; the heart monitor's beeping noise loud in his ear.  
The speedster had forced Caitlin and Cisco to go home to rest hours earlier.  
His mind wanders through his options, ones he wishes he didn't even have and those that seemed impossible to reach.  
"Len," Barry says softly as he looks at his partner's face. "I know you don't like to take orders, but," he heaves a heavy breath, chest tight. "we really need you to wake up."  
The monitor keeps beating its rhythm while the speedster leans closer to the other man.  
"I," he clears his throat, runs a hand through his hair before returning it to his knee. "I need you to wake up, Len." He smiles sadly, "Wentworth will never forgive me if I let you keep sleeping."  
His partner stays asleep, unmoving. The monitor's beeping sounds louder, pounding in the speedster's brain as his fear, anger and frustration form a heavy stone in his gut.  
Guilt eats at him as he blames himself for the other man's condition.

Another hour. Another 60 minutes of no change.  
"Leonard Snart," Barry growls, powers thrumming under his skin as he feels the need for an outlet. "We're partners," tears sting his eyes and he blinks them away. "and, as partners, I am ordering you to wake up."  
The beeping noise gets louder, though additionally muffled as well.  
The steady beat remains the same.  
Barry rubs at his face, "I can't do it," the hero confesses. "I can't raise our son alone."  
"If you wake up right now," the speedster smirks. "You can make fun of me for how ridiculous I'm acting. Then you can threaten me when I start making movie references."

One more hour. 3,600 more seconds.  
"Out of all the warehouses in all of Central City," Barry muses. "I had to fight in yours."  
The monitor keeps beeping and Len doesn't even twitch.  
Barry scowls at the too loud machine, "What good are you?"

Another hour ticks by like it's a lifetime passing and Len still doesn't move.  
'Everyone you know gets hurt,' Eobard's voice mocks in Barry's head.  
'Eddie!' the memory of Iris's voice cries out.  
'If Wentworth can only have one of his Dads I would rather he have you.'  
"No!" Barry grabs his head as more voices taunt him. He looks at his partner and stands, determined.  
"No," he repeats firmly. "You are not allowed to lay there anymore."  
"Get up, Len!" Barry takes his partner's hand and a bolt of electricity passes from him to Len. Startled, the speedster pulls back, worried he might have done something to worsen the other man's condition.

The heart monitor skips a beat with the hero's own heart.

A second passes like a century and Len's eyes flutter open.

He looks at Barry and his expression changes to one of worry.  
"What happened?" Len asks quietly.  
Barry's heart nearly explodes with relief.

 

"So," Len drawls after Barry has hugged him three times in a row and explained everything. "Lady Morph changed me again, turning me into Sleeping Beauty?"  
"I did NOT wake you up with a kiss," the speedster assures him quickly. "I just grabbed your hand."  
"And a bolt of electricity kick started me to consciousness?" his partner raises an eyebrow. "Are you magic now, Barry?"  
"I don't know what it was," the hero smiles. "I'm just glad it worked."  
"About that," Len looks around the dimly lit room. "Better make sure the others know I'm alright before they worry themselves to death."  
"Right!" Barry clears his throat at the volume he said the word. He says calmer, "Right, I'll do that now."  
The speedster sends a mass-texitus to everyone who knew about Len's condition and he immediately gets bombarded with relieved replies.

"Where are you going?" Barry demands when Len gets out of the bed.  
"I need to see a lady about a sleeping potion," his partner answers as he walks out of the room. "You coming?"  
"Like I'm going to let you out of my sight," the speedster grumbles under his breath.  
Both men stand outside Lady Morph's cell as the outer cover lowers revealing the Meta curled up in a ball.  
"Trixie South," Len drawls. The woman instantly uncurls to stare at them. "Mind telling me what you did to me?"  
"You, you're," the Meta shakily gets to her feet to point at the crime fighter. "You're supposed to be asleep! How did you wake up?"  
"Why don't you tell me what you did first," Len counters. "Then I'll tell you how I got out of it."  
"I turned off your ability to wake up," Morph frowns. "In your brain, I don't know what it's called, I just turned it off."  
"Well, I got a jump start to turn it back on," the crime fighter smirks. "But now we can add escape from custody and evading the police to your rap sheet. So, thanks for that."  
"I'll get out," the woman smiles. "And the next time? I won't be asking."  
Barry closes the panel with a push of a button as he looks to his partner.  
"Len," the speedster says. "Not all of the Metas will safely be able to go through the legal process."  
"Are you suggesting we keep Miss South here?" Len turns to fully face the hero.  
"Some of our enemies are just too dangerous to be trusted outside these walls," Barry says solemnly. "I think that Morph is one of them."  
"What about the part where we're supposed to be better than the bad guys?" his partner reminds him.  
"I promised Lisa I wouldn't let anything bad happen to you," the speedster answers, unable to look the other man in the eye. "I plan on keeping that promise."  
"You and Mick can't go around getting rid of the people who kidnap me," Len drawls.  
"No," Barry allows. "But we can make sure you're safe when it's within our power."  
"I'm not the bleeding heart of this team, Barry," his partner points out with a smirk. "I'm not gonna make a fuss for a woman who's determined to impregnate me against my will. As long as you don't keep this from the others, I'm all for your plan."  
"Then I guess we need another family meeting," Barry smirks.

 

"All in favor of keeping Lady Morph contained at STAR Labs, raise your hand."  
All hands go up, except for Wentworth and Lisa's because they weren't back from Henry Allen's place yet. Joe, Iris, Barry, Caitlin, Cisco, Len, and even Mick, were waiting for the two's return at the West-Allen house.  
The speedster lets out a breath he didn't know he was holding. Of course his family would agree with him that keeping the psycho woman off the streets was the best course of action.  
"Now," Joe speaks up. "Do we tell the officers that The Flash has the Meta in custody? Or let them spin their wheels until they give up and the woman's escape goes unsolved?"  
"I think it's best to keep the fact that the City's Speedster still has a secret prison away from the boys in blue," Len answers. "If the CCPD know The Flash still keeps dangerous Metas captive, they might re-form the task squad to bring Barry in."  
"Yeah, let's not encourage that again," Iris immediately agrees, expression saddening at the reminder of her late fiancé.  
"You know what else?" Cisco pipes up, eager to move away from the suddenly depressing air. He points to Len, "I think we might need to change your name to Captain Kidnap."  
"It's not my fault I'm so good looking people can't keep their hands off me," his teammate replies with smirk.

The doorbell rings. Seven heads comically turn at the same time to it before Mick, who is closest, opens it.  
"Unc Mick!" Wentworth greets with a big smile. "Hedo!"  
"Hey there, Spit-Fire," the pyro smiles back. "How was your little visit with Grandpa Allen?"  
"Gappa Henny came a see Da!" the toddler points behind himself as the older man appears in the doorway behind Lisa.  
Worthy locks eyes with his father and runs for him shouting, "Da!"  
Len catches an arm full of boy, the force of the hug almost knocking him off his chair.  
"Mr. Rory," Henry Allen greets the pyro with a nod as he walks into the living room where everyone else is. "Hello everybody."  
"Dad." Barry goes over to his father to give him a hug. "What are you doing here?"  
"Well, I heard you boys got in a bit of trouble and thought I'd stop by to make sure things worked out okay," the older Allen shrugs. "I am a doctor, you know."  
"Lenny, you are so dead if you do that vanishing thing again," Lisa scolds as she approaches her brother. "You had us sick with worry, you idiot!"  
"From victim to guilty party already?" Mick chuckles. "I think that's a new record."  
"You know me, Mick," Len smirks. "Got to keep this team on its toes. Otherwise they'll grow soft."  
"Tough talk from a guy who keeps getting kidnapped," Joe quips.  
"Like I said," the crime fighter drawls. "Good looks equal hard times."  
"Evebody!" Wentworth raises his hands to get everyone's attention. "Awl me no. Is dat me happy Da otay." The toddler smiles, "An dat I wuv me faminy."

...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title Note:  
> Murphy's law is an adage or epigram that is typically stated as: Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.


	3. We're Not Done Yet...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "halszka" gave me permission, so my brain has decided (and subsequently forced my hand) to create these next two chapters.  
> Are you ready?  
> [Please don't hate me.]

After a raucous family dinner where Len scolded literally everyone, even Joe, both he and Barry went back to the warehouse to get the crime fighter's bike.  
The speedster then followed his partner back to STAR Labs where Len would stow the vehicle until he could go over it later and they could check on their Meta before retiring for the night.

Barry chuckles as they walk through the halls to the cortex.  
"What?" Len sighs, knowing he wasn't going to like the answer.  
"I was just thinking," the speedster smirks. "First Frozen, then Sleeping Beauty." Barry turns mischievous eyes to the other man. "Are you working through the Disney princesses, Len?"  
Instead of answering with his regular drawl, Len punches Barry hard in the arm. The force of the sudden blow sends the hero into the wall, knocking the smirk off his face.  
"Hey!" Barry protests angrily.   
"I'm having a bad day," his partner shrugs. "It's about time I get my way."  
"Remember," the speedster shakes a finger in the air. "you're the one who can fill the world with sunshine."  
"I'm not the sunshine type, Barry," Len drawls as they reach the room. "Let's just check our house guest so I can sleep."  
"Haven't you gotten enough of that?" Barry smirks, hiding the worry that the man might revert back to what Morph had done to him.  
"Being with our family is exhausting enough for any man," his partner sighs, remembering his shouting match with Mick when the pyro tried to instigate an arm wrestling tournament in the dining room. The fact that his ex-partner had Joe and Cisco raring to go was extra frustrating.  
"Did you see the way Wentworth-" Everything goes out, cutting the speedster's question off. When the generators don't kick in, Barry tenses and pulls out his phone.  
"No signal," Len tells his partner. Barry gets the same message on his own device.  
"I don't like this," the speedster frowns, muscles tensing with a strong 'bad feeling.'  
"Feels like an invasion or," the crime fighter scowls at his gun-less leg. 'You won't need it for a bike run,' they said. There was a spare one locked away in the Lab, but it was too far away to get to.   
"A jail break?" Barry finishes as his partner goes silent. "Should I get you the spare gun?"  
"Let's not risk anything yet," Len drawls, walking into the left side-room to retrieve a lead pipe and two flashlights.  
"How long has that been there?" the speedster blinks at the improvised weapon.   
"I've hidden loads of clever weaponry throughout the place," his partner tosses him one of the flashlights. "Shall we figure out who's come knocking on our door?"

Side-by-side, the two crime fighters make their way down the hallways as they check for enemies. The Lab seems larger and more hollow as they move, their steps echoing as their breathing starts to match.  
"Maybe someone ran into an electric pole?" Barry whispers after they've cleared the first few rooms.  
"More like rammed right into the power plant," Len whispers back sarcastically. "Then their buddy slammed into the generators."  
"That," the speedster sighs. "Is exactly what I was thinking."  
"Someone's here," his partner slides to look around the corner, still finding no one. "I just don't know where or why."  
They take a few more steps before Len freezes in his tracks.  
"Barry," he hisses suddenly when his partner doesn't notice he's stopped. The speedster turns a questioning look to him. "What happens to the containment cells when the power goes out?"  
"As a safety feature, the locks," Barry's eyes grow wide. "Automatically release."  
"Someone's breaking Lady Morph out," Len growls. "And the cells are-"  
"The only way to get what you want in this world," Lady Morph's voice echoes around them. Both men shine their lights back and forth, but the Meta's nowhere to be seen. "is through hard work."  
The lights suddenly turn on right as a small army of masked, heavily armed men flood both sides of the hallway.  
"But it helps," Morph continues as she pushes her way between the mystery men. "To have a little help from your friends."  
"Is this the man you spoke of?" a new voice speaks up from the opposite end. Len puts his back to the wall to turn his head at the newcomer. A man in a business suit with short, white hair smiles back at him. He looks at the crime fighter like he's assessing a new car. "I must say, I thought he'd be taller."  
"Who're you?" Len demands as his partner keeps turning his head back and forth between their blocked exits.  
"The name's Damien Darhk," the man answers as he needlessly straightens his suit. "And you're name is Leonard Snart."  
"You think that by knowing my name I'm going to get all scared and trembly?" Len sneers. "Sorry, you're going to have to try a lot harder than that."  
"But I'm not trying to scare you, Mr. Snart," Darhk shakes his head. "I'm just trying to get passed the introductions."  
"Do you boys mind if we pick up where we last left off?" Lady Morph speaks up, earning all of Barry's attention and part of Len's. The Meta takes a rather impressive dagger from one of the masked gunmen and wiggles it in front of herself. "I still need that blood, Flash."

"Damien Darhk," Green Arrow's voice growls from behind the man's group of muscle. "You do not belong in this city."  
The hallway explodes into chaos.  
Barry runs at Lady Morph while arrows fly into a few of the masked muscle. Speedy flips into the center to shoot at Darhk, but the man dodges with a smile then disappears into the swarming bodies who are trying to fight off the other archer.   
The speedster is blocked by one of the men and he has to disarm three before he can get eyes on the Meta again. Morph waves the knife at him and makes a face as if the weapon in her hand were a toy and this was a game.  
Len and Speedy are back to back in the middle. The archer strategically aims at their enemies with her bow while the other crime fighter hits those who get too close with his pipe.   
Green Arrow seems to have vanished, perhaps having gone after Darhk, so Barry has to take on the other man's load of minions to keep the fight fair. 

The speedster knocks two men's heads together and is reaching out for another's gun when he feels a horrible sensation of something slicing into his body.  
Crying out from the sudden pain, Barry curses himself for losing sight of the woman for even a second. He grabs his intended victim's weapon and uses it to knock the guy out before searching for the Meta.   
Morph giggles and the speedster catches the top of her head hiding behind a four-man wall approaching his partner and Speedy.  
"Len! Watch out!" Barry warns, before he's shot in the shoulder and has to spin around to land a brutal punch to the shooter.  
'How many henchmen can one guy have?' Barry wonders angrily as he takes the last three out on his side of the hall. He turns to look back at his partner and the burning of his wounds turns to ice.  
One of Len's arms hangs loosely at his side, blood staining his jacket and dripping down his hand as he swings the other arm that's still wielding the pipe at the two opponents in front of him. Speedy is shoving her end's remaining enemies backwards with just her bow, but it's putting her away from Barry's partner.   
Lady Morph steps through a hole in the wall and taps the bloody blade against her hand as she winks to the speedster. Barry runs, but the Meta is too close. She pulls Len backwards by the collar and into the hole with her, making the speedster pass them by mistake. 

Barry halts, redirects and stops outside the hole where there are now bars blocking him. Lady Morph holds the knife at Len's throat as she keeps him trapped against the wall of the tunnel, the man's pipe nothing but a puddle on the floor beside them. Her bloody hand creeps under his shirt as she smiles at his partner like at shark, all teeth and wild glee.  
"I said I wouldn't ask!" she giggles, pressing her hand down under the material.  
Len grunts as his face reddens with his desperate attempt not to scream. His body betrays his bravado as it jerks and twitches under the woman's touch.  
Barry pulls back and rams himself into the bars.   
They don't budge.   
The speedster keeps ramming into the bars as he watches Len's eyes close and his body slump. His brain finally remembers how to work and he phases passed the bars and slams Lady Morph through the wall at the end of the Meta-made hole and into the room beyond.

Chest heaving and powers humming, Barry walks over the rubble and takes the woman by the collar.  
"Why?" he barks in her face, not caring how mad he sounds. "How could you hurt someone like that?"  
"I told you," Morph coughs, blood runs down the side of her face and dust from the wall coats her entire body. "I like you two."  
"That's a horrible way to show it," the hero scowls, shaking the woman slightly.   
"Just wait, Flash," the Meta sings, a wide smile breaking out on her face. "In a few years I can come back and do it again."  
Barry's heart swells with anger as the woman laughs and continues, "And again. And again! And AGAIN!"  
Barry throws her into the wall, knocking her unconscious. 

"Barry?" Oliver asks worriedly as he appears before the speedster.   
The hero blinks, wondering when the archer had come back.   
"Len," Barry is at his partner's side in another blink, glove roughly ripped off his hand so he can feel the man's pulse under his fingers.  
It takes one-too-many seconds, but he eventually feels the steady rhythm. His lungs loosen and he can finally breath once more.  
"Is he going to be okay?" Thea asks, eyes occasionally darting to the downed henchmen sprawled out all over the floor.  
"He didn't get knocked out last time," Barry answers without realizing it. He frowns as he gently nudges his partner's shoulder, "Len?"  
Len groans, eyes scrunching tightly before opening halfway.  
A two-ton weight lift's off the speedster as his partner blinks at him.  
"That was less fun than last time," Len drawls as he looks around him at the others. "You guys get the ones I left for you?"  
"Yeah, sure," Thea smiles. "Thanks for that, by the way. I was worried you'd take them all on your own and I wouldn't be part of the re-telling."  
"I try to please the ladies," the crime fighter smirks, then winces. "The nice ones at least."  
"What's wrong?" Barry's concern instantly spins into overdrive. "Did she do something else to you? Are you injured anywhere else?"  
"Breathe, Barry," his partner pats him on the shoulder. "We gotta get those thugs wrapped up and out of here for the cops before they wake up."  
"Thea and I will handle them," Oliver instantly offers.   
"We will?" his sister repeats sarcastically.  
"You two need to get checked out," the older archer ignores his teammate. "Is there a doctor in town you can trust?"  
"This isn't our first rodeo," Len drawls, pushing himself to his feet. Barry's hands whip out to grab his partner's arms and help ease his progress. Len smacks him away once he's standing. "I can manage to the medical wing while you get Caitlin."  
"But you're-" Barry snaps his mouth shut at the other man's glare.  
"And I thought you were touchy," Thea comments, stowing her bow so she can use both hands.  
"This place isn't secure yet, Snart," Oliver points out. "Let Barry take you somewhere safe, out of the Lab, and I'll let you know when it's safe."  
"Where's Lady Morph?" Len asks before he can be sped away.  
"She's out cold through there," Barry vaguely points to where the woman is.  
"I'll let you speed me to the house if you lock her back up first," his partner offers. "And this time, put it in the computer that she can't get out when the lights go off."

 

Barry locks up the Meta as ordered and has his partner at the West-Allen house before he and Oliver can glare at each other. 

"Barry, what the-?" Joe runs to Len's side to ease him on the couch. "Why do you two look like you've been in a brawl?"  
"Because we were," Len smirks. Barry leaves the explanations to his partner as he flashes out of the house to gather medical supplies and pick up Caitlin.  
They'll have to wait for the ultrasound.

Caitlin is in bed, reading a book, when the speedster stops by to get her.  
"Barry!" the scientist's cheeks go red as she gathers the covers in front of herself.  
"Len's hurt," Barry explains in a pant. "Lady Morph might have impregnated him again."  
"Turn around and give me a minute," Caitlin orders, sliding from under the covers and running to her dresser.   
The speedster turns and listens as drawers are opened and slammed closed. He blushes when he hears the sound of a zipper and has enough time to wonder if he should have left the room before there's a tap on his shoulder.  
"I'm ready," the scientist nods, black doctor bag in hand. "Let's go."

Barry drops the woman off at the house before briefly returning to STAR Labs for sterile bandages, medical needle and thread, and painkillers.  
When he gets back, Len is shirtless and sitting on the coffee table while Caitlin cleans his bleeding wound.  
"These recurrent visits are getting tediously mundane," Len is saying.  
"Your dejectedly sorrowful attitude towards this doleful situation will not garner a less disconsolate one," Caitlin smirks.  
"I wouldn't say there was no comfort in this dispirited time," the man counters. "I've got you to look after me, Doc."  
"They've broken out in dictionary talk for no reason," Joe shrugs at the speedster's confusion.  
Barry faints in relief.   
Or blood loss. It might have been the blood loss.

 

\---

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, (as I mentioned in "Hello, Arrow You?") I do NOT watch the show "Arrow" that much. I know about certain people, but not the finite details or plot points.  
> Please consider the mistakes a part of the AU. It'll make things easier. (For both of us.)


	4. Surprise!

When the speedster wakes, he lying on the couch. Len's asleep in the chair nearby, head propped up with his good hand with a blanket loosely covering him.  
"Caitlin, he's up," Joe's voice says behind him. His foster father walks into Barry's line of sight with his 'you're going to get a lecture' face on. "Barry-"  
The hero's saved from said lecture when Caitlin gently pushes passed the detective to get at her patient on the couch.  
"How are you feeling?" the scientist asks as she takes his wrist in her hand to check his pulse. It's then that Barry realizes he's missing half of his suit.  
"Barry," Caitlin squeezes his wrist to get his attention. "Are you seeing double? Are you feeling nauseous? How's the pain?"  
His shoulder and side throb their complaints, but Barry smirks as he lies, "I'm fine."  
"Don't give us that," Joe's tone rises with his incredulity. "You look like crap."  
"How's Len?" the speedster ignores the other's concern as he tries to sit up.  
"Even with accelerated healing," Caitlin eases him back down. "you still need your rest."  
"But-"  
"Len's fine," the scientist smiles sadly. "At least from what I can tell without my other medical equipment. Didn't it take a few weeks before he started having problems last time?"  
"No," Barry shakes his head, still lying down. "It just took that long for Lisa to come banging down our door in search of help."  
"Look," Joe points at his foster son. "You're not going to do him any good if you pass out again, okay? You need to rest and heal if you want to be of any help."  
The hero sinks into the cushions, only to sit up again to ask, "Did anyone tell Lisa?"  
"I told her Len was bunking here for the night after coming across a hero problem on the way back home," Caitlin assure him. "It's a little lie, but I think she'll forgive me."  
"Good," Barry sighs, relaxing once more. "I want to figure out what Morph did to Len before we start worrying anyone."  
"Family always worries about family, Barry," Joe shrugs. "It's what we do."  
"But for now," the scientist gently lays her hand on the speedster's hand. "You need more rest. I'll check you again in a few hours."  
"Okay," Barry relents, eyes heavy as his body drains of energy it didn't really have.

 

When Barry wakes again, Len's also up. The morning sun shines on his partner who's in a clean set of clothes and holding a mug in the hand that isn't in a sling.  
"You know," Len drawls when he sees the other man looking at him. "With your suit being red and all, sometimes I don't notice when you're bleeding."  
"Sorry to scare you," the speedster blushes, pushing himself into a sitting up position. His side no longer hurts and his shoulder only faintly twinges in pain. "How's your arm?"  
"Just as scratch," his partner half shrugs. "You want some coffee?"  
"Are you offering to get it for me?" Barry smirks.  
"No, but since you've said it that way," Len smiles back. "definitely not."  
"Some partner you are," the speedster scoffs half-heartedly.  
"Iris!" his partner lifts his head to call out. "Your future husband wants some caffeine!"  
Without thinking, Barry is off the couch and hissing at the other man, "What is wrong with you?"  
"Relax," Len takes a sip of his drink. "you have no idea how much fun we've all had making fun of you while you slept."  
"We?" the hero repeats a little too high.  
Iris walks into the room with a playful frown aimed at Len and a coffee cup in hand that she brings straight to Barry.  
"Len," the reporter crosses her arms when both hands are free. "I thought we said we wouldn't tell him about what we discussed while he was out?"  
"You and Caitlin said that," the man grins. "I never made any promises."  
"It's a good thing you're injured right now," Iris shakes her head at him. "I will get back at you if you say anything else."  
"You two really should go on a proper date," Len counters, smiling at the two angry faces pointed at him. "Your angry faces go so well together."  
"Watch your back, Captain," the reporter pokes the man in the chest. "I don't kid around."  
'Kid.' The happy feeling growing in Barry's chest drains away at the word as he looks to his partner. "Len-"  
The front door opens, interrupting the speedster, and Lisa walks through it with Wentworth. The younger Snart sighs at her brother's condition.

"Really, Lenny?" Lisa groans. "You couldn't stay out of trouble for one night?"  
"I stay out of trouble plenty of nights," Len defends. "These days, at least. If I remember correctly, we used to purposely get into trouble at night."  
"No deflection, dear brother," the woman scolds. "You are benched, again, until you're better."  
"Da," Wentworth pulls on his father's pant leg. "You otay?"  
"Fit as a fiddle," Len moves to sit in a chair so his son can sit in his lap. "Did Uncle Mick make you pancakes this morning?"  
The toddler giggles from his perch, "Unc Mik got dem on da see-wing!"  
Len groans, "I told him not to throw them in the air."  
"Barry Daddy," Lisa walks over to the speedster. "As much as Iris might appreciate seeing your abs, do you think you can put a shirt on?"  
"Wha?" Barry looks down as his cheeks heat up and he realizes he's still half naked.  
"Right," in five seconds, he's gone and returned in new clothes. "Sorry."

Oliver and Thea, dressed in casual clothes, walk through the still open door. Barry gives them a small wave as the billionaire closes the door behind them.  
"Hey, everyone," the archer smiles at the group. "This is my sister, Thea." he motions to the young woman who waves slightly for her introduction. "We were just passing through and we thought we'd stop by."  
"Nice to see you again," Lisa narrows her eyes at the billionaire. "Convenient timing you have there, though."  
"Lisa," Len warns.  
"Unc Owver!" Wentworth carefully slides off his father's lap to give the man a hug. "You baut a sisa?"  
"You must be Wentworth," Thea goes to her knees to be eye level with the toddler. "I heard all about you from my big brother and Felicity."  
"Ant Ficity an Unc Owver tell you a me?" Worthy smile grows wide. "Dat so nice a dem a do!"  
"Yeah, and you are just as cute and your Aunt said you were," Thea smiles. "Do you want to show me around?"  
"Yay!" the little boy takes the archer's hand, pulls her to her feet, and starts dragging her around the house as he tells her about everything.

"So, Barry," the archer looks around the room with a questioning look in his eyes. "Is there somewhere we can talk?"  
"Does this guy have a secret identity you're not telling me about, Lenny?" Lisa glares at her brother. "From which city does he hail from again?"  
"Mr. Queen has a hard enough time at home," Len grins. "Let's not make the man sputter out excuses for his actions here too."  
"Wait," Iris butts in. "You know something about Oliver Queen, the billionaire?"  
"Just what I like on my sandwiches," Oliver deflects with a smile. "Barry, Len, do you think we can talk in private for a moment?"  
"Ladies," Len drawls, rising to his feet. "We'll just be a moment."  
"This is not over," Lisa warns her brother when he passes her.  
"It never is with you," her brother grins. "You were relentless when I knew who The Flash was."  
"So he IS another hero!" his sister scoffs. "Do we know anyone normal?"  
"I'm normal," Iris comments.  
"You're special by association."

 

Barry takes them to his room for privacy and Len leans against the door to keep an ear out for eavesdroppers.  
"All of Darhk's men were taken to the CCPD," Oliver starts. "But unless there are outstanding warrants for them, the cops won't be able to hold them for long."  
"What about the man himself?" Len asks.  
"Darhk vanished, again," the archer frowns. "I'm sorry about all this. He's my problem. I was tracking him to try and figure out his next move when he brought me to Central City. That's why Thea and I were so close when Cisco called."  
"Did Darhk know Lady Morph, I mean," Barry corrects, "Trixie South?"  
"I don't know," Oliver shakes his head. "There isn't any reason behind the man's actions," his frown deepens. "Damien Darhk is Just Pure Evil."  
"We can ask her ourselves," Len drawls.  
"Len," the speedster rubs at the back of his neck as he looks to his partner. "I don't think it's safe to keep Morph in Central City."  
"You want Queen to take her?" his partner raises an eyebrow. "He have a secret prison too?"  
"It's an island, actually," Oliver shrugs. "I'm willing to take her there if you can make a cell that'll hold her."  
"What did she say to you?" Len glares at the speedster. "I'm not a princess to be protected."  
"She's unhinged and too powerful not to take seriously," Barry ignores the question. "We still don't know what she did to you. Oliver taking her far, far away is the best plan."  
Len continues to glare at the speedster for another half a minute before averting his eyes with a shrug, "Fine."  
Barry breathes a sigh of relief.  
"Dig is going to come by to help beef up the security in STAR Labs," Oliver adds after the tension's left the room. "I'll pay for the upgrades."  
"Good," Len smirks, pushing off the door. "I don't think Barry could wallet any extreme expenses."  
"He's right," the speedster nods, following his partner. "CSIs don't get paid a lot."

 

The three men walk down the stairs to find the three woman playing 'Duck, Duck, Goose' with Wentworth in the living room.  
"Goose!" Worthy shouts, tapping Iris on the head before dashing around Thea to hide behind Lisa.  
The reporter sprints out of her sitting position, long legs sliding around the archer as she tries to reach the toddler in time, but Wentworth is already bouncing on the floor before her hand makes it to Lisa's far shoulder.  
"Ant Idis!" Wentworth giggles. "You go now!"  
"Having fun are we?" Len teases as he takes the last step.  
All three women jump as they turn to look at the men. Thea grins at her brother while Lisa raises her nose at them and Iris freezes with her hand hovering over the giggling toddler's head.  
"Da!" Wentworth waves. "Day! Un Owver! You pay now?"  
"I, I'm not, not really," Oliver stutters, trying to bow out of it.  
"Are you telling me you're too scared to take a toddler on in a children's game?" Len drawls. "You're sister seems to be able to hold her own."  
"Oh, Ollie was terrible at this game," the younger archer joins in the taunting. "I used to beat him all the time when we were kids."  
"I know what you're doing," the older archer grins tightly, pointing to his sibling. "It won't work."  
"So you are scared," Len scoffs, moving to sit next to his own sister. "Too bad."  
Barry takes the spot next to Len and grins at the constipated look from the only man left standing.  
"What could it hurt to play once, Ollie?" Thea smiles brightly.  
"Only his pride when he can't catch anyone," Len chuckles.  
"Fine!" Oliver growls, plopping down next to his sister. "But only for one round."  
"Wentworth," Iris touches the little boy on the shoulder. "Why don't you take my turn?"  
"Tank you, Ant Idis!" the toddler jumps to his feet and moves out of the way for the reporter to take his spot. He pats her on the head, "Duck..."

 

"Sorry guys," Caitlin yawns as she walks down the stairs two hours later. "I fell asleep in Wentwo-"  
The scientist rubs furiously at her eyes as she takes in the scene before her.  
Oliver is in the middle of a circle of people made up of Barry, Lisa, Len, and Iris while Thea desperately chases Wentworth throughout the living room.  
"Gotcha!" the archer cheers, grabbing up the toddler in her arms. "Ollie! You're free!"  
"Am I still sleeping?" Caitlin asks herself, holding a hand to her head to check for a temperature.  
"I think that's game," Len smirks, noticing his teammate. "You get enough sleep, Doc?"  
"Yes," the scientist answers. "Though I'm not sure if I'm actually awake."  
"Oh, this isn't a dream," her teammate lowers his voice as everyone stands. "It's more like a nightmare for Oliver Queen."  
"I heard that," Oliver growls, arms crossed over his chest protectively.  
"Don't be such a wuss," Thea nudges him in the shoulder. "Just own the fact that a little kid got the better of you."  
"Can we just drop this?" the older archer growls. He forces a smile on his face as he turns to Barry, "We've got to be heading home."  
"It's always come and go with you," Lisa remarks. "Your City can't survive without its hero around? Where is home again?"  
"Drop it, Lis," Len intends for it to sound teasing, but it comes out as a groan when a bought of nausea catches him off guard.  
"Is the Lab safe yet?" Caitlin asks as she goes to her patient. "I need the use of my machines."  
Barry looks to Oliver who nods.  
"It's still messy, but the only one in the building is locked up tight."  
"Lenny," Lisa draws her brother's name out dangerously. "What haven't you told me?"  
"Da?" Wentworth looks worriedly at his father who's clutching his stomach.  
The crime fighter takes a deep breath, hand gripping the fireplace's mantle tightly as the discomfort spikes.  
"Lady Morph got to him again," Barry answers for his partner.  
Lisa's eyes go large, "Does that mean?"  
"I'll let you know when I know," Len tells her. When his sister gives him a 'look' he rolls his eyes, adding, "I promise."  
"Ant Caitin mak you a bedda, Da?" his son continues to look worriedly up at him.  
"Of course," Len grins down at the boy. "She always does, doesn't she?"  
"Des!" Wentworth grins. "See you lader Da!"

 

Oliver and Thea take their leave while Len, Caitlin, and Barry pile into speedster's car to go to STAR Labs. 

"I think we should re-paint the walls," Len remarks when he lays down on the bed in the medical room. "Since I keep coming back here, I should be able to make interior design decisions."  
"Let me guess," Barry smirks. "you want ice blue?"  
"With small accents of glacier," his partner grins.  
"Shelf the color conversation, boys," Caitlin interrupts as she pulls the ultrasound to the bed. She looks to Len, "How did you condition progress last time?"  
"First it felt like a bad stomach bug," Len recounts. "Then the pain got worse and I started sweating like I was in an oven."  
"That's when Lisa got Barry and the rest is history," he ends with a shrug.  
"Is the pain the same as last time?" the scientist asks next as she rolls up his shirt.  
"Hard to know for sure," the crime fighter frowns. "But something feels different."  
"Different how?" Caitlin squeezes out the goo.  
"If I knew, I'd be more specific, Doc."  
"Let's see for ourselves, then, shall we?" the scientist puts the wand on his stomach and turns to look at the screen.  
Neither of the men can see anything in the blurry, swirling, grey images projected at them. Caitlin takes a few pictures as she looks closely at the images and moves the wand without looking.  
"Well?" Len asks as his teammate pulls back the wand and wipes off the gel.  
"It's too soon to tell," Caitlin shrugs. "We'll use the muscle relaxants sparingly if the pain gets too bad."  
"Hey," Barry suddenly realizes something. "Has anyone heard from Cisco?"

 

"For the last time, it's not my fault I didn't know about the attack on STAR Labs!" Cisco growled to Lisa, again, as she glared accusingly at him. "My phone died in the middle of the night, so I didn't have an alarm to wake me up in the morning. Barry didn't come rouse me out of my bed either, so HOW could I have known that something bad had happened?"  
"Weren't your genius senses tingling or something?" Lisa huffs, unconvinced of her man's innocence.  
"Seriously?" said genius shakes his head. "I am a genius, but it's not like I can see the future!"  
"Enough!" Len orders, silencing the couple. "Cisco's right, Lis, and you know it. The poor thing was sleeping the night away while Barry and I took on the newest baddies. But," he glares at the genius when he opens his mouth to repeat his innocence. "that doesn't matter because those events are over and done with."  
"What matters now is keeping a close eye on Len," Caitlin pipes up. "We all know how stubborn he can be about how he feels."  
"Oh, he's going to be an open book on this," Lisa assures the other woman with a significant look to her older brother. "He won't give us any problems, will you Lenny?"  
"It's times like these when I wonder what life would have been like without a sister," Len rolls his eyes.  
"Miserable and far less fabulous," Lisa winks.

 

Diggle arrives the next day with men and equipment to deck out the Lab with the latest and greatest security Oliver could buy.  
Cisco keeps Lisa and Wentworth occupied while Barry and Len oversee the work.  
Thankfully, Mick had gone out of town and the group decided to wait until Lady Morph's transfer before telling the pyro about what happened.  
Caitlin and Len 'trade shifts' with Cisco so the genius can work on a safe way to move the Meta.  
By the end of a week, the new security system is set up and Lady Morph is ready to go to her new home.

Oliver, dressed as Green Arrow, shows up to take the Meta into custody. Diggle goes with him and they take the woman via van back to Star City before transferring her to a plane for the vigilante's prison island.  
On the way from vehicle to aircraft, Lady Morph is shot in the head and killed.  
There are no other casualties.  
Oliver informs Barry about what happened and that he traced the assassination back to Damien Darhk.  
"Tying up loose ends," the archer had growled over the phone.

The only one truly upset about Morph's death is Mick. Mainly because he didn't get 'a crack at her' before her sudden demise.  
Len is oddly quiet after hearing the news. Before Barry drives the man back to the Lab where Caitlin was waiting to do another ultrasound, he decides to ask him why.  
"I don't know," his partner drawled. "I want to be angry at her but at the same time," he shrugged, a small smile turning the corner of his mouth upwards. "She did give us Wentworth."  
"Never thought I'd see the day when Leonard Snart would be the positive one," Barry grinned.  
"Shut up and drive." 

 

Neither men are surprised to find Lisa, Wentworth and Cisco waiting with Caitlin at the Lab. They would have been surprised if they hadn't shown.  
"Ready to get this started?" Len drawls, pulling himself onto the medical bed.  
"Remember what I said about diapers," Lisa warns as Caitlin pulls the ultrasound machine close.  
"Da be otay, Ant Wisa?" Wentworth asks as the scientist rolls up his father's shirt and squirts the gel onto his stomach.  
"Of course, baby," his Aunt pulls the boy up into her arms to comfort him. "Your Dad is just having some tummy troubles and this machine will tell Aunt Caitlin what's causing them."  
"Oh," the toddler nods.  
Caitlin holds the wand in front of herself as she glances at each person in the room.  
"Here goes something."  
The wand touches Len's stomach, but the crime fighter doesn't flinch. This time they had preemptively given him medication so there'd be less pain.  
"Oh dear," Caitlin blinks at the monitor.  
"Is that?" Len stares at the screen with big eyes.  
"I can't believe it," Cisco breathes.  
"Lenny," Lisa starts to giggle while her nephew looks at the adults with a pout.  
"Wat da matta?" he asks as his other father turns that red color he had a lot.  
"Nothing's the matter," Lisa tells the boy through her giggles. She coughs a few times to stop them before finishing, "You are going to be a big brother!"  
"Big budder?" Wentworth's brow furrows. "Me?"  
"Yes," his Aunt starts to giggle again. "You're going to have-  
"-TWINS?" Barry finally finds his voice.  
Even if it is a little loud.

 

\---?---


End file.
